Improvement in chest-expanding suspenders



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. WALKER, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of'Lctters Patent No. 46,161, dated January 31, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WALKER, ot' Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chest-Expanding Suspenders; and I do hereby declare the saine to be fully described in the following specication, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a back view. Fig. 2 is a front view ot' a pair of my improved chest-expanding Suspenders as applied to the body of a person.

In the drawings, A A are the ordinary suspenders wh-ich go over the shoulders of the person and are united by two short elastic straps, B X and B. From each of these suspenders A A a buttoning-strap, E E, is secured for the purpose ot' attaching them to the pantaloons.

In ordinary suspenders no provision is made for holding the shoulders back, but in my improvenient I have provided means for drawing the shoulders back and expanding the chest in the following` manner: Instead of allowing the suspenders to pass directly over the shoulders, I cut them off at the top of the elastic strap B X, Fig. l, and firmly secure wider shoulder-pieces D D to the suspender-s A A and opposite the elastic strap B X, and at a sufficient angle to pass directly across the points of the shoulders C C, in the shoulder-pieces D D, I make openings V V, and generally ot' an elongated or elliptical i form, of sutlicient size to allow the points ot' the shoulders O O to protrude through the said openings, and thus prevent the shoulderpieces D D ot' the suspenders from moving oit' from the shoulders or up toward the'neck of the wearer, at the same time allowing free motion ot' the arms and shoulders in any direction.

The openings V V in the shoulder-pieces D D are, as herein shown, of an elliptical forni, and the shoulder-pieces I) D, being nearly the same form, terminate each at a point, O O, Fig. 2, directly forward of the points ot' the shoulders O O, at which points O O, I afx arm-straps H H, which pass under the arms,

around the sides, toward the middle of the.

back, and unite Vwith the Suspenders A A in any suitable manner.` Connected with the armstraps, and alittle below the points of the shoulder-pieces O O, are the front portions ot' the Suspenders I I, buckling into branch straps J J J J, which branch straps button onto the front part of the pantaloons.

My improved Suspenders may be worn by females by buttoning them to a. belt passing around the body.

I do not claim the armstraps, as they are an old and well-known device; but

What I do claim as my invention is- The openings V V in the shoulder-pieces D D ot' chest-expanding suspenders, when made and applied substantially as herein described and shown, and for the purpose set forth.

GEO. W. WALKER. Witnesses:

JAMES HULME, HENRY W ALsH. 

